4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Looks gorgeous, with a deep reddish-brown color and a purdy frothy white head. This one smells a little bit dry and ashy, somewhat sour, and hardly malty at all, but the flavor is much different. Slightly sweet, nicely balanced malts and caramel, plus some good ol’ raisins and plums abound in the flavor, which I quite like. Some alcohol presence, but its not unpleasant.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Interesting to see such a "run-of-the-mill" style deemed a OTOP beer - clear copper pour with huge white head - aroma of cinnamon, raisin, cherries soaked in rum - medium bodied, pretty foamy in the mouth - high sweetness, but tempered by a woody, smokey quality - I certainly taste the port qualities that sneagrams was talking about - brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate - some spiciness comes late, and helps the smoke keep the sweetness from becoming cloying - very well-balanced - ranks up there with the established doppels of europe - Heavyweight, please start making some of these OTOP beers into regulars!
3.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
So an old buddy of mine comes back from Jersey for the holidays, and what does he bring a ton of back with him. This Heavyweight brewery. And boy did he get a selection. This started the night. 750 ml bottle. Deemed OTOP. Hazy amber hue. Musty and cinnamon. Bubblegummy and alcohol. Oily mouthfeel. Resiny. Sweet with raisins, port, residual sugar. F’N’A.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
This was the class of the holiday event at HW. Seems Tom brews some of his greatest creations, then deems them OTOP (One Time One Place) This needs to be regular rotation material.
Starts off with a roasted chocolate malty sweetness. No discernable hop profile up front. Midway through I detect some spicy black pepper notes, very dark, some smokiness. Most doublebocks get overly sweet and sometimes cloying. This one walked the line like a champ with perfect balance.
More-More!
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Thick, rich and malty this is bock with balls. Dark chestnut brown with a smallish white head, this brew reeked of caramel. Sweet throughout with a hop character that, while present, did not interfere with the malt. I sampled this at the 12/04/2005 open house, then drank a bomber with some saurbratten and red cabbage. A bit of oompah and you’re in Munich. Heavyweight throws another haymaker and lands...big time.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
UPDATED: DEC 30, 2005 Tap @ Blind Tiger VSK night. Murky brownish black with a small head. Aroma is floral hoppy with just a hint of roastiness. Taste is smooth and sweet but balanced nicely with just a hint of bitterness. Flavors of caramel and mollasses, cigar ash and salitness. Flavors become more muddled as it warms becoming more sugary sweet.
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